Traveling with Family & Pets

Nothing beats a family trip. But the thought of getting the kids and pets on a plane to visit relatives or see the Big Apple for the first time can be overwhelming.

You’re in luck: Whether you’re traveling with little first time flyers or kiddos who have been to 40,000 feet before, we offer plenty of tips and tricks to help make your trip smooth and enjoyable. At Frontier, we believe flying should be a treat for any age group—and for our furry friends too. Here’s some valuable information for your upcoming trip.

Traveling with Infants

Naturally, you want to hold your little bundle of joy on the flight for as long as possible. However, there are federal rules, and we have to follow them. Here’s how it works:

Infants can travel for free, sitting on your lap from seven days old up to his/her second birthday.

You may choose to purchase your little one his/her own seat and use an approved car seat on the plane (this is the safest way, if you can, we encourage you do so).

If you’re flying internationally, taxes might apply and will be collected at check-in.

Only one infant per adult lap – if you’re traveling with two infants and you are the only adult in your party, you will need a ticket for one infant (and an approved car seat).

Two adults with two lap children can’t sit in the same side of a row, because there are only four oxygen masks per every three seats.

Lap children may not sit in any seat that has an airbag seatbelt installed which includes row 1 on most aircraft.

Traveling with children

Now that your little one’s are starting to talk and eating solid foods, it’s also time for them to have their own seat on the airplane. And just like at home, when your little one is on the plane they will probably need almost constant entertainment. So here are some quick tips:

Don’t forget to bring some tried-and-true items that will keep your kiddos happy during the flight—blankets, books, toys and snacks.

We offer snacks, and beverages for sale on most flights (something to consider if the toys aren’t working or you run out of snacks).

Bring something for them to suck on, as the pressure changes from taking off and landing can cause pain in little ears.

Comforting toys are great – but be mindful of passengers around you. Leave the noisy toys at home.

Pssst…Exclusive Frontier Tip: Bring a car seat for added safety. Just make sure it’s approved by the FAA (there will be a label on it stating, “This restraint device is approved for motor vehicle and aircraft use.”) Use of the FAA-approved AMSafe Aviation C.A.R.E.S. child harness device is also allowed.

Car Seats and Strollers

If you’d like some extra protection for the little one, bring a car seat. But choose your seats accordingly if you do, because car seats cannot be place in emergency exit rows, in the rows directly in front or behind of emergency exit rows, or in the very first row. We suggest placing car seats in window seats so they do not impede access to the aisle by other passengers. If you bring a stroller, you can take it to the gate but it must be checked from there.

Breastfeeding

Frontier fully supports a woman’s right to breastfeed on its flights. Breast pumps are also welcome aboard.

Unaccompanied Minors

At Frontier, “unaccompanied” does not mean “unsafe”

When your kids are going on a solo trip, you can rest assured that they are in safe hands. Here’s how Frontier gets young travelers from departure to arrival without any fuss.

Children ages 5-14 need to be accompanied if they are not traveling with someone who is at least 15.

We do not accept unaccompanied minors less than 5 years of age.

Unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights.

An unaccompanied minor service charge of $100 per direction will be charged to cover extra handling, an in-flight beverage and a snack.

The fee is not included in the ticket cost. It can be paid in advance by when booking your ticket at FlyFrontier.com or at the airport when the child is checked in.

The name, phone number, and address of the adults who will be dropping off the child at the airport and picking the child up from the airport are required. Additionally, an Unaccompanied Minor Request for Carriage form must be completed by the adult bringing the child to the airport.

Because we want your child's travel experience to be as smooth as possible, we recommend that you check in at least two hours prior to departure. The Unaccompanied Minor Request for Carriage Form is required at check-in and must be completed by the person bringing the child to the airport. To save time, the form may be completed online and printed prior to arriving at the airport.

You'll need to escort your child to the gate and wait until the aircraft has taken off before you leave the airport. The TSA will grant only one pass to one adult for gate access.

During courtesy boarding, one of our representatives will escort your child onto the plane, assist with any carry-on luggage, and introduce your child to the crew.

Please note that our snack items may contain nuts, soy, wheat, dairy, or eggs. Snack items may be packaged in a facility that processes peanuts and other nuts.

(Pssst…Exclusive Frontier Tip: Traveling alone for the first time can be scary. Help your young, solo traveler feel more comfortable by packing plenty of activities for his/her journey – books, headphones, and mobile games are all encouraged!)

Picking up your unaccompanied minor

For safety reasons, we will only release the child to the designated recipient. Be sure to let the adult who is picking up your child know to bring a photo identification and to arrive at the airport early enough to obtain a pass from our ticket counter. The designated recipient must be a named person and cannot be an organization such as a youth camp. For your child's safety, he/she won't be released to the designated recipient until the identification has been reviewed by one of our employees. Upon arrival, your child will have a personal escort from the aircraft to the designated pick-up person.

We recognize that the safe transport of your child is your number one concern—it also happens to be ours. Please contact Frontier Reservations at 800-432-1FLY (1359) with any questions.

Mexican National Unaccompanied Minor Regulations

Additional documentation is required for Mexican nationals traveling as unaccompanied minors or traveling with adults other than the parents of the child. Any child under the age of 18 who is a citizen of Mexico and is traveling without a parent or legal guardian, has dual citizenship (one being Mexican), is a permanent resident of Mexico, or a temporary resident of Mexico (e.g. on a student visa) must present one of the following when checking in with Frontier:

If the minor is traveling with one or both parents no additional documentation is required.

Traveling with Pets

Pets are like family. That’s why we’re committed to keeping your dogs, cats, hamsters, and more safe and sound on their trip.

Can I have my pet in the cabin?

If you have a hard time parting with your furry friend for any amount of time, you’re in luck: Small pets are allowed to be carried onboard the aircraft. However, if you would like to take your critter on your next trip, there are few things you need to know first:

A one-way, directional charge will apply and may be paid in advance by calling Frontier Reservations at 800-432-1FLY (1359). If you do not pay in advance, you’ll need to pay when you check-in your pet. And while you might have a few cats or a whole litter of puppies, we are required to limit it to one pet container carry-on per person.

Pets are allowed in cabin on all domestic Frontier flights, and on international flights to and from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. Pets are not allowed on flights to and from Jamaica.

Only certain animals are allowed in the cabin:

Domesticated dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, or small household birds may be carried on flights within the United States. Sorry, no reptiles or arachnids (and please, no tigers or bears).

Only domesticated dogs and cats may be carried to or from international destinations.

Be sure to look into the applicable laws, customs, and other governmental regulations, requirements or restrictions of the country, state or territory to which your animal is being transported. This is your responsibility. Also remember to obtain your pet’s required health documents as described below under health and wellness.

Due to limited space in our cabin, if you want to bring on a pet container it will count as either your carry-on bag or personal item. If the pet is taken in place of your personal item, a carry-on bag charge may apply if you have an additional carry-on bag. Since the pet container is always placed underneath the seat in front of you, overhead bin space may be used for your other personal item or carry-on bag.

The travel container must be large enough for the pet to stand, turn around, and lie down in a natural position (you want your pet do be comfortable, don’t you?). The carrier must also fit underneath the seat in front of you. There may be certain seats that cannot accommodate your pet container, but we'll work with you to get a seat assignment with space. Please note that you may not sit in an exit row when traveling with a pet. Maximum dimensions for a pet container are 24" length x 16" width x 10" height.

Up to two (2) small animals may be transported in one travel container as follows: puppies or kittens (8-10 weeks old), hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, and small household birds.

For safety reasons, your pet must remain in the travel container at all times. If your pet is disruptive, it’s up to you to soothe him/her without taking him/her from the pet container.

We recommend that pets have food or water within four hours of departure. We ask that you do not provide food or water to your pet while traveling on the aircraft. The stress of traveling, the motion of the aircraft, and other factors could make your pet uncomfortable.

No oxygen will be administered to a pet in the event of an emergency.

Can I check my pet like baggage?

Frontier Airlines does not allow pets to be checked as baggage.

Health and Wellness

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the transport of pets within the U.S. While Frontier Airlines does not require a health certificate for pets carried in the cabin traveling within the U.S., upon arrival, a certificate may be required by the specific state in which you are landing. For clarification, please call your veterinarian or see the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Services.

For international travel, a health certificate is required. Each country may have vaccination requirements beyond the requirements listed here. Consulates can provide more information regarding other diseases for which your pet must be vaccinated. The heath certificate must:

Be dated based on entry into the country:

Within 10 days of entry into the U.S.

Within 15 days for entry in the Dominican Republic.

Within 14 days of entry into Costa Rica.

Within 5 days of entry into Mexico.

Include:

Name and address of the owner.

Animal species.

Country of origin/destination.

Immunization against rabies within 12 months for.

Adult pets 3 months of age or older for all destinations except Costa Rica. Costa Rica defines adult pets as 4 months of age and older.

The immunization must be administered no more than one year and no less than 30 days prior to international travel. If a pet received a rabies booster less than thirty days before an international flight, proof of the prior rabies shot is required.

The following are additional requirements by country:

Mexico and the Dominican Republic require a statement on the health certificate that the pet is free from parasites and has been treated for parasite prevention.

The following vaccinations are recommended: hepatitis, PIP and leptospirosis.

Can I give my pet tranquilizers?

While it might be tempting to help comfort your pet, most veterinarians advise against sedating pets for travel since the effects of tranquilizers on animals at higher altitudes are unpredictable.